Nets Fall Short Against Pelicans in Close Matchup
The Pelicans hold the title of the worst team in the NBA currently, but the Nets took that spot during their game on Wednesday.
Brooklyn started strong with a 12-point lead but ultimately squandered an eight-point advantage in the fourth quarter, losing the game 116-113 at the Smoothie King Center, with 16,201 fans in attendance.
The Nets, now at 11-27, showed promise last month but have since slid into a five-game losing streak, the longest in the league, and have lost eight of their last nine contests.
In the lottery standings, the Nets are in fifth place. Before the Wizards faced the Clippers later that night, they were only one game behind Washington and two behind Charlotte.
Brooklyn regained a brief lead at 110-107 thanks to a deep three-pointer from rookie Egor Demin with just 1:28 left. Unfortunately, they surrendered seven points afterward and couldn’t regain the lead.
In the final seconds, the Nets found themselves trailing by three. They stumbled during a critical play, and Michael Porter Jr., who led the team with 20 points, missed a long-range shot.
Trey Murphy III was the standout performer for the Pelicans, scoring 34 points, while Zion Williamson added another 25. The Pelicans have expressed intentions to retain both players moving forward.
New Orleans entered the game with the league’s worst record (10-33), having lost 11 of their last 12 games. They lack any solid hope of securing the best lottery odds, especially after last year’s surprising draft-night trade that allowed them to move up ten spots to pick Derrick Queen.
Throughout the game, the Nets kept the Queens from scoring until 1:50 was left in the third quarter, during which they went 0-for-4 from the field but still ended up losing.
The game was tied at 105-105 when rookie Drake Powell was fouled, making two of three free throws to give the Nets a slim lead. After Murphy tied it again, Demin hit a clutch three-pointer to break the tie.
However, Saddiq Bey answered with a three-pointer of his own, and the Nets allowed Bey to give the Pelicans the go-ahead basket with an offensive rebound and putback, putting them ahead with just 21 seconds left.
The Nets had a chance with the shot they wanted, but Porter missed the corner three-pointer, denying them an opportunity to reclaim the lead.
With five seconds left, Powell’s three brought the score to within one. But with Bey hitting two free throws, the Nets’ final possession turned into a scramble, culminating in a half-hearted shot from Porter with no time remaining.
Although the Nets had struggled with slow starts in games leading up to this one, they appeared focused at the beginning, quickly jumping to a 16-6 lead following Powell’s basket.
After a Demin assist to Nick Claxton, New Orleans doubled its lead to 24-12 with 5:44 left in the first quarter.
The game was tied at 87-87, leading to an intense fourth quarter.
Eventually, Dayron Sharpe grabbed a rebound from Bey’s missed shot and dunked off a feed from Terrence Mann. Following two missed shots from Queen, Mann stole the ball and made a three to put Brooklyn ahead.
After Williamson’s turnover, Cam Thomas drove to the rim for a 94-87 lead. Danny Wolf added a wide-open three, extending the lead to 97-89. But the advantage slipped away.
With Wolf fouled out, the Nets allowed a 16-4 run that sealed their fate. Murphy’s three-pointer gave New Orleans a 103-101 advantage, and after Yves Missi secured an offensive rebound and putback, the Nets found themselves in a hole they couldn’t escape.
